A professor of psychology in California studied stress levels of people who watched excessive news reports about the Boston Marathon bombers. She compared their anxieties against those of people who were at the Marathon. Those who overdosed on news were much more stressed than those who attended the Marathon. The article where this study appeared is about the nation’s hysterical reaction to 2 cases of ebola on our shores.

If you want to live a normal but adventure filled life, don’t watch the news on television.…

Let’s face it, many readers of our blog and Facebook page do not actually travel solo, but are dreaming of doing it. Here is what we think is the best first trip and some guidelines to adapt to your mind set.

A single stay trip might be less work than a multi city tour. Our March 21-29 Tuscany luxury farmhouse trip is an example of an easy adjustment: staying in a beautiful farmhouse,with wifi, free laundry, snacks and drinks in the kitchen etc.…

A personal note from Phyllis Stoller. “My father started life as a traveling salesman. He started a business and worked a 24/7 schedule, before that was the thing to do. Of course, that meant rarely going on vacation and never taking trips. Well, he did play golf all the time. My mother outlived him by 15 years in good health and with financial security, thanks to Dad’s constant work schedule.

Here is what she told me in her very short list of life’s regrets: I wish I had traveled.…

This article is in part from Select Traveler Magazine Women’s travel offers comfort and camaraderie.

by Marsha Mack Goberish
Published September 16, 2014
Women’s travel is a market rarely promoted by bank, alumni and chamber group travel planners. And that’s unfortunate, according to Phyllis Stoller, founder and president of The Women’s Travel Group.

“Traveling with women is a comfortable way to travel for those 35-year-old women who are financially able,” Stoller said.…

Since we are all skeptics, here is our take on Tripadvisor and Yelp, and generally travel reviews. Are they to be taken for real? Or are these written by whiney and vindictive people? Yes, if you read through say, Tripadvisor reviews, you can spot idiots who are so rushed in their writing that every other word is a typo. Here are some things to look for in a travel review:

Wifi is our new lifeline. Way back it was whether our stockings would snag on the plane, then it was bringing your own toilet paper, then air conditioning became the must. Now it is wifi.

Some hints about wifi

Turn off your ‘roaming’ to avoid potentially huge charges. You can leave your phone on if you expect a handful of important calls. Most carriers will not charge crazily for a 1-2 minute call. You can also subscribe for a specific time period of calls in another country if you need this service.…

Here are some new tourist destinations from The Women’s Travel Group, with novelty but no nerves: good for solo women travelers.

Cuba:long isolated by US laws, Cuba will eventually be a cruise stop. Go now while the island is still unspoiled, yet friendly to Americans–one of the ironies of history. Our trip is not like others: it is not a specialized art, or medical, or music or dance theme. We combine as many experiences as possible in one week: people to people, art, history, colonial buildings, music, dance and just a tad of crafts.…